The present invention relates to methods of feeding ruminants in lactation, and in particular, it relates to methods for optimizing milk production and dry matter intake.
For purposes of this application, the word ruminant will be used to refer to those animals in the suborder of Ruminantia. The most important ruminants are those domesticated animals that fall in the family of Bovidae.
Of particular interest are domesticated cows which are invaluable in supplying milk and meat to the population of most industrialized countries. Milk production in these countries has shifted from small farms to herds that number in the thousands on one farm. Also the business of milk production has become very competitive. In order to stay profitable, farmers have had to optimize the amount of milk produced. Profits are realized more readily when feed is utilized efficiently and when cows produce their maximum amount of milk.
To better understand how to make cows produce more milk, their lactation cycle along with their gastrointestinal system has been studied greatly. There are numerous patents, published patent applications and literature references that describe various feed formulations in an attempt to increase milk production.
Milk secretion in dairy cows is primarily limited by glucose uptake. Nonstructural carbohydrates have been used in attempts to increase milk production. Such nonstructural carbohydrates include starches, soluble sugars and other reserved carbohydrates. Starches are of particular importance since starch in the form of grains such as corn, sorghum, oats, wheat and the like can be purchased at economical prices or grown by the dairy farmer. Starch includes both amylose and amylopectin molecules which are in turn synthesized to glucose for availability to the lactating cow.
However, the dynamics of the ruminant gastrointestinal system are such that when larger quantities of starch are fed, the larger quantities affect the operation of the rumen which in turn affects milk production and dry matter intake (DMI) which in turn affects body maintenance of the cow. Large quantities of starch as a percentage of DMI may result in undesirable pH changes in the rumen which in turn affect microbial activity. Such microbial activity is necessary to digest structural carbohydrates (dry matter) in the rumen. Much has been written about site digestion of starch, how much occurs in the rumen and how much of the undigested starch passes to the abomasum and small intestine and what the affects are on overall milk production. Review of the prior art indicates no specific solution.
Thus the dilemma results of how to increase milk production since to increase more glucose, more starch intake is required which in turn affects rumen performance, and depresses dry matter intake and milk production.